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PVR Shootout

It's been 30 years since the introduction of the VCR, but only recently have we seen another device that can change the way we watch TV. The personal video recorder, or PVR, is the result of several technologies converging to become more than the sum of their parts.

The first PVRs, introduced under the brand names TiVo and ReplayTV, took advantage of the latest video-encoding standards and the increasingly spacious hard drives flooding the market. Microsoft later entered the PVR arena with UltimateTV, which supported the recording of two channels simultaneously.

Not a lot of information most people don't already know, but I did notice an omission - the Dish PVR 501 (ouch for E*).

They did forget to mention that the UTV has PIP capabilities and WebTV access, but most articles seem to be funded by Tivo, as most seem to view MS as the great Satan. That is their opinion, so it does not good to argue the point.

As an owner of two UTV units, I am very happy with the service and especially with PVR's in general. My main VCR broke about three months ago, but with UTV and my DVD player, I haven't even missed it.